It is known to provide a locking feature on fuel doors of vehicles to inhibit opening of the fuel door and prevent access to fuel within a vehicle fuel tank. The known locking features typically include a locking member located in a fuel housing that is moveable between locked and unlocked positions. When the fuel door is closed, a portion of the fuel door engages with the locking member to move the locking member from the unlocked position to the locked position.
During fueling operation, a fuel nozzle having a fuel nozzle boot is inserted into the fuel housing. The fuel nozzle boot of the fuel nozzle can contact the locking member to move the locking member from the unlocked position to the locked position due to the size of the fuel nozzle boot. Upon completion of the fueling operation and movement of the fuel door to the closed position, the locking feature of the fuel door may not engage the locking member as the locking member has already been moved into the locked position by the fuel nozzle boot. A user may then need to move the fuel door from a closed position to an open position, manually toggle the locking member from the locked position to the unlocked position and then reclose the fuel door in order to engage the locking feature into the locked position.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fuel housing assembly capable of preventing the fuel nozzle boot from contacting and moving the locking member into the locked position while the fuel door is open.